Review, Revision, Edit and Update
Each time I review an episode, I appreciate the work of editors and copy editors. I could call it tinkering which is what I do. Their work is much more intense and of course, usually for a novel.
I saw little to alter in this episode. One fairly significant error I made was in the first paragraph. The sentence in question originally read: “Extra staff was needed - doctors, nurses, RMTs and......” My intent was to include respiratory therapists, important member of the health care team, but I used the wrong initials. My improved sentence reads: “Extra staff was needed - doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and......” Other wise, my tinkering involved a few wording changes and spacing. Nothing elaborate.
Awakened
“Do I have to get up? Really?” Jeremy pulled his pillow over his head. “The light is too bright. Just let me sleep.” It was the first good sleep he’d had in two weeks. His rotation was only supposed to be one week, but the hospital filled up with more cases of Covid 19. Extra staff was needed - doctors, nurses, Respiratory Therapists and any auxiliary staff. Everything still needed cleaned, cleaned and cleaned again. And everyone had pulled together. They were all exhausted even with rotations to give people much needed resting time away from the chaos.
“Yes, honey you have to wake up. Here’s coffee and toast. Cook sent it up just for you. None for me! And she fixed it just the way you like it - lots of cream cheese and her strawberry jam. I do get to have coffee with you though, honey.” Jeremy had looked absolutely exhausted when she picked him up the night before. At dinner that evening, he ate everything, at the same time leaning his head on one hand. Drank two big glasses of water and one of milk. Giving a loud burp, he said - “Show me where the bed is, Em. I don’t know if I can get there myself.”
“Ok, ok, I’ll sit up - but I’m not getting out of this bed. How long did I sleep? What time is it?” Scrubbing his eyes open, he squinted out the window. “It’s kind of dark? Why is it time to get up?” Emelina laughed. “Well, you’ve slept all day ~ almost a full 24 hours! I had to check on you to make sure you were still breathing.” He sat up a little straighter, taking the welcome mug of coffee from his wife. “Cook fixed your snack just before she left for the day. There’s dinner waiting for you if you can make yourself get up. You can always go back to bed but get up for a bit, please Jeremy.”
“All right, Em but I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Every muscle in my body aches.” Returning the empty coffee cup to her, he sat slowly on the edge of the bed, leaning his elbows to knees, head in his hands. “Maybe I’ll have a shower and go back to bed. I don’t know about dinner, but a shower I can manage.” He kissed her on the forehead and staggered in to the bathroom. Emelina heard the shower turn on, heard moans of pleasure and “my god that hot water feels good!” She stripped the bed, put fresh sheets on and folded them down for him.
The shower turned off. “Em. I think I might have that dinner after all. I’m starving! Can you hand me my housecoat? Otherwise I’ll have to flash you!” She laughed out loud and took him his housecoat. “I’d rather we had dinner first, husband.”
~~~~~
Dinner was finished. “I’ve eaten all I can eat. When you woke me up, I wasn’t even sure I wanted the coffee. You’re quite the saleswoman! Pushing me out of bed and sending me off to the shower.” Jeremy was shaking his head in mock disbelief. “I did not ‘send you off to the shower’ - it was your idea.” Emelina took some of their dinner dishes to the dumbwaiter. “So are you going to get dressed now?” He pulled her onto his lap. “Jeremy, I need to clear away our dinner things!” She wrested herself away from him. “And why should I get dressed. I saw the bed made up and looking all ready for something.” Em stood behind him and massaged his tight shoulders, eliciting another moan from him. “It is all ready for something, but I want to go for a walk first with you. It’s a lovely evening and you need some fresh air. I want you all limbered up and smelling of the outside, not hospital.” Jeremy looked like a chastened little boy. “Ok, mom, I’ll be a good boy and take my poor old mother for a walk. Maybe she’ll magically change back into my beautiful wife and then I’ll take her to bed.”
~~~~~
Emelina had wanted to talk with Jeremy about doing something for the staff here at the estate. Seeing him so very tired and exhausted, she had decided not to and was glad of it. “Thank you for getting me out here, Em.” Stepping out the front door, the sun almost gone, Jeremy took a deep breath of cool, fresh island air. She stood beside him, happy and content. The two not so young lovers took a stroll around the grounds. Back on the porch sitting on the wicker swinging bench, they cuddled until they both got cold. “Let’s go in, Em. I think I need to get back to bed.”
“To know when to go away and when to come closer
is the key to any lasting relationship.”
~ Doménico Cieri Estrada
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